Switch mechanism



July 30, 1929.v E.A.v RoBERTsoN SWITCH MECHANI SM 'Filed sept. 10, 1927 @Win15 Ir wf//Ww I lNvEToR @Fm m LW ATTORNEY,

Patented July 30, 1929.

UNlT

EDWIN A. ROBERTSGN, F LAKE VVAW'ASEE, NDIANA, ASSGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS,` TO THE WAYNE HOME EQUPMENT INDIANA, A CORPORATON OF MARYLAND.

COMPANSC OF FORT WAYNE,

SWTCH MECHANISLT. l

Application filed September 10, 1927. Serial No. 218,784.

My invention relates to switch mechanisms.

The principal object of my invention is to provide mechanism by which a switch may be thrown on and off by independent means.

Another object of my invention is to provide switch mechanism suitable for use in connection with an automatic zeoiite watersoftener, and capable of being thrown on by means operable from the meter andrea.-

pable of being thrown oil by means of the flow controlling mechanism. It is particularly important for such use that the switch mechanism be inexpensive to make, and simple and sturdy so that it shall require the minimum amount of attention after being put in servlce. t

In the particular embodiment of my invention selected for illustration a snap sr-,f'itch is shown as applied to an automatic zeolite water softening apparatus with independent cam means for throwing the switch on and off.

Figure l is a side elevation of a switch in position on the water softening apparatus with part of the cover broken away and sufficient of the water softening mechanism shown to show how the switch isoperated.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing., H is the housing of a portion of the water softening apparatus in which a cam shaft C is journalled at L. To the shaft C is fixed a cam c and another cam 01 is loose on said shaft and 5 is held in place by washer c2 and nut Two parallel lugs c,y c5 on the underside of the cam c1 are so placed as to receive in the slot between them a pin m2 fixed to an arm m1 rotatably secured to the shaft m thus 0 forming a liex'bledriving means for the cam c1. The shaft m is in fact the shaft of a meter not shown whose housing M is also secured to the housing H. Also secured to the housing H is a switch-box A with a removable cover a. Through the back of the switch-box A extend the switch contact elements a1 and a2 secured to lead wires as and a* respectively, said switch contacts al and a2 being insulated from the switch-box A by insulating member a5, which is preferably bored to receive the switch contacts a1 and a2, the body portions of which are then made cylindrical.

lVithin the chamber a6 of the switch-box A is a lug a7 bored to receive a screw 'as which acts as a pivot for the oscillatable T- head switch blade composed of a body portion a9 of fiber and a head portion al of metal, the two being .secured together by rivet all. To the outer end of this blade is secured the usual brass or phosphor-bronze forked blade cl2 secured to the portion a9 by rivet als. Another lug @14 is bored and fitted` with a pin 0015 which acts as a stop to limit the oscillating movement of the blade. The 55 corner am of the iber member a9 of the blade may impinge upon the inner side of the case yA as shown in Fig. 1 and act as a stop also.

of the hooked members a and als -pivoted by the pins al9 and (L20 respectively to pullrods a and L22 respectively and upon which are mounted coiled springs s compressible Y in such a manner as to tend to throw the blade when the end of the pull-rod passes over the point of its cam. V

A spring s1 is adapted to press the hook of the member a int-o engaging position with the member @1 whenever the point of 30 the cam o1 has pressed inwardly the pullrod L21 so that the heel @23 of the hook member a" no longer bears upon the inner surface of the chamber a6 of the case A, as shown in 2. v 85 As soon as the outer end of the pull-rod L21 has passed over the point of the cam c? the spring s on said pull-rod causes the hook of the member (L17, which is in engaging position with its end of member al", to throw the kblade of said switch into the position shown in Fig. l. As soon as the switch bladehas passed into position shown in Fig. 1 the heel @23 of the hook member a contacts with the upright wall ofthe case and throws the hook out of engagement with the member al". The action of the other hook member al through the pull-rod @22 by means of its cam is similar' to that of the one just described.

Downward pressure of the springs s1, s1 on the hooks a and als cause those hooks to bear one at al time yupon the metallic head 61 whenever they are in contacting position, with sufficient pressure to hold the T-head blade in positive position, lwhether' 105 contacting or non-contacting.

ln both figures of the drawing the hook of the member als 1s shown depressedthatf is,

rlhe blade is thrown by vmeans of either'70 in engagement with its end. of the member a ready to throw the blade when the outer end of the pull-rod L22 has passed oft the point of cam c. After the switch has been so thrown, the position of the parts Ywill be as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. n

If the position of the switch was that shown in dotted lines in Fig. l and for any reas-on it. was desired to throw it by hand at a time earlier than it would be thrown automatically'by the operation of the water softening mechanism upon rotation of the cam c1, pressure tov the left on the handle am' would cause the hoolr on all to engage the member al when the spring s on the pull-rod L21 will throw the switch into position shown in full lines in F ig. l. A similar handle x25 may be provided for the pull-rod 0522- I Claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters s Patent of the United States l. In an electric switchA mechanism, the

combination of a positive contact element, a

negative contact element, a T-headed switch blade comprising a body portion of insulating material, a metallic head secured to said body portion and pivoted through said metallic head for oscillation and a metal switch contacter secured to said body portion toward its free end, said Contacter adapted to ybe brought. into electrical connection with either of said elements, a pull-rod with a hook adapted to contact with one side of said metallic head to oscillate the blade on its pivot so as to close the switch, a pullrod with a hook adapted to contactwith the other side of said metallic head to'oscillate the blade on its pivot so as to open the switch, and means for holding said blade in fixed relation to the contact element when oscillated into either of said positions.

2. In an electric `switch mechanism, the

combination of a ositive contact element, a negative contact eloement, a T-headed switch blade comprising a body portion (of insulating material, a metallicvhead secured to said body portion andpivoted through saidmetallic head for oscillation and a metal switch contacter' secured to `said body portion to ward its free end, said contactor adapted to be brought into electrical connection with either otsaid elements, a pull-rod with a hook adapted to contact with one side of said metallic head to oscillate the blade on its pivot so as to close the switch, al pull-rod with a hook adapted to Contact with the other side of said metallic head to oscillate the blade on its pivot so as to open the switch, means for holding said blade in fixed relation to the Contact element when oscillated into either of said positions and means for automatically. disengaging said hooks from said metallic head when the blade has been oscillated toits new position in relation to said contact elements.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWIN A. ROBERTSON. i 

